Carson's 1st Christmas: The Eve

Christmas this year was one of the craziest I've ever experienced. Between a few new additions to the family and Missy's family coming home from the mainland, Grandma & Grandpa's house was filled with so much laughter, happiness, and craziness. We ate (Marly's amazing chocolate cake), acted (the Nativity), sang (the Twelve days of Christmas-local style), and laughed so much. I'm so thankful Robby has a big and crazy family because family gatherings are SO fun. Although I miss my family in Taiwan/Minnesota, I was grateful to be able to spend Christmas with my other family. The saying is true guys--There's no place like home for the holidays. I hope your holidays were full of the people you love most.

While Wai Po was in Town

So guess who my Mom was in town to see? Obviously not me. I'm guessing the number of pictures she has with her grandson gave that one away. This was the second time she's seen Carson since he was born. She was so happy just to see him and hold him.

A few of the things we did during the week my mom was here:

          1. Swam in the pool.
          2. Went to the Waikiki Aquarium.
          3. Had dinners with Tutu at Gyotaku and Kit n' Kitchen.
          4. Went to the park and played on the swings--Carson's first time.
          5. Got shaved ice at Waiola.
          6. Went to Ala Moana A LOT--per Cynthia's request for lots of new clothes.
          7. Ate out almost every meal--yay!

It's always sad when my Mom leaves because we go from eating anything we want at yummy restaurants to tuna sandwiches and lots of leftovers. We had fun while she was here and I hope Carson gets to see her Wai Po more often. Its tough having your family live on the other side of the world!

Sunset Ranch

A couple of months ago, a photographer (Jenna from Creatrix Photography) whom I admire was looking for a couple to be her models for a styled shoot. I jumped at the opportunity because I honestly did not love the bridals/groomals we took on our wedding day. This would be the perfect opportunity to get a few more shots without having to fork out any money (which I was not willing to do). Of course, Jenna was fabulous and I honestly love her work. Besides, how could I turn down a horse and such a beautiful location?

Funny story though. I brought my wedding dress along without trying it on prior to the shoot thinking that I could still fit in it no problem. BIG MISTAKE. Two years of marriage and a baby can make a big difference! Thankfully, Tiffany was with me and she almost broke my zipper trying to help me squeeze into the darn dress. We were seriously having a full-blown panic attack in the bathroom. So relieved when the zipper went all the way up!

(Robby in suspenders, a bow tie, and a plaid newsboy cap?! He must love me a LOT. Thanks for doing this with me...I know you didn't want to!)

Anyway, these are a few of my faves!

One Hawaiian Pumpkin Patch

Yes! There are pumpkin patches in Hawaii! And here I was, naively thinking that locals only pick up their pumpkins from air-conditioned grocery stores. We met up at Aloun Farms with Sharlie, Josh, and Koen a couple of weeks before Halloween and had so much fun despite the blazing heat. The farm went on farther than my eyes could see. I seriously had no idea such a huge pumpkin patch existed on this island. We explored a large portion of it, but was still nowhere close to conquering the whole thing. We left happy though with grilled Ewa sweet corn and pumpkin gelato in our tummies and three tiny pumpkins for our apartment.

Uh Oh...

We're in trouble now. Naptime and bedtime are about to get interesting.

Eight Months

Has it really been eight months since I last touched this space? Perhaps you can imagine why. It is unfathomable until you're living it to comprehend just how much time a baby takes. Blogging was just out of the picture. But little guy has just started giving in to taking one or two naps throughout the day. And instead of crying for half an hour now, a mere five minutes of whimpering will put him to sleep. Maybe now I'll slowly be able to get back into the groove of things. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Of course, when I go to snap a picture of how cute and peaceful he looks while he's sleeping...he wakes up. Typical. But this face makes my heart so happy. Alright times up. Gotta go.

Baby's 1st Halloween

Halloween is officially no longer about us. But that's just fine by me. I loved watching our sweet boy sit on daddy's shoulder all night and stare curiously as the other kids ran around. We were too busy this year to whip up any creative costumes. Thankfully, Missy saw the cute ninja turtle PJs and couldn't resist buying it for Carson. So ta-da! The turtle family! Robby absolutely loves his turtle shirt and apparently will be wearing it all the time now. The costumes also worked out because of the warm weather. I know what you're thinking. Warm?? On Halloween?? Yes, trust me, it was my first time too trick-or-treating in a tshirt and not bundled up in a million layers plus a beanie, boots, and mittens. Needless to say, the change was quite nice.

We went trick-or-treating in Manoa with Tutu, Aunty Marly, Uncle Mai, and Waika. After all our bags were full, we headed back to the Manoa house for corn chowder and orange rolls. Little guy was all smiles all night. Definitely looking forward to all the Halloweens to come!

Sneak Peek

Ever since the baby shower at the beginning of February, this is what our place has looked like (the before). The crib leaning behind baby's gifts has been there since December. It was driving me CRAZY because our light switch is conveniently (more like inconveniently) positioned right behind the mattress. Every time I have to turn on/off the lights, I have to set down whatever is in my hands, lift the mattress, before I can get to the switch. Very frustrating. 

To Robby's defense, he has been so busy studying for the MCAT and working 7am-7pm shifts that I couldn't bear to nag him to build the crib. But with less craziness on his plate now, I finally decided to give him a push. After a few days of gently nudging (or begging?) him to build the crib to no avail, I pulled the toolbox and crib out and started building it myself. I didn't get far before he came home from work and freaked out that I was moving around the heavy crib by myself. I should've started building the crib much, much earlier, because within 45 minutes, he had finished building it. Thank goodness. And I LOVE it. Sometimes, men just need that extra push in the right direction don't ya think?

Our home finally starting to look a little more...well...livable. More pictures to follow!

5 more weeks to go...